Renosterveld derives its name from the renosterbos, a member of the daisy family which is the most characteristic species found in this vegetation type. Renoster is afrikaans for rhinoceris and the name renosterbos was probably originally associated with the plant … Continue reading
The brown sage (Salvia africana-lutea) is a popular species used in indigenous coastal gardens in the Cape. It has a natural distribution on dune sands from Namaqualand to the Cape Peninsula and eastwards to Port Alfred. Brown sage is a … Continue reading
Fynbos is the name given to the hard leaved (sclerophyllous) shrublands and heathlands found in the coastal plains and mountains of the south western and southern Cape of South Africa.The name is derived from the Dutch word fijnbosch meaning fine leafed … Continue reading
The bietou (previously known as Chrysanthemoides monilifera) is a large, fast growing rounded shrub with oval to elliptic toothed leaves. The plant is sparsely woolly on its young parts and bears small clusters of yellow radiate flowerheads. The black, fleshy … Continue reading
While paddling my canoe on Kraaibosch dam in the Uilkraals Valley near Gansbaai last week, I noticed a bright splash of pink on the bank of the dam that I had never seen before. Being an inquisitive botanist I swung over to the bank and found the source of the pink splash to be this beautiful heather, Erica axillifora. Not only had I never seen it before, but it was also the first time that this species has been recorded in the area.
The majority of fynbos species are adapted to acidic (low ph) soils typical of the mountainous regions of the Western Cape. Gardening with fynbos along the coastal regions therefore requires an understanding of the local environmnet, pressures on the plants … Continue reading
Driving along the tar road between the villages of Stanford and Gansbaai at this time of the year I am always astounded by the sudden appearance of large splashes of pink on the hill slopes. The source of this amazing floral display is … Continue reading
On the weekend I took my family for a drive down to the Kleinbaai harbour near Gansbaai. Every day hundreds of tourists from all over the world drive down this road to go White shark diving. It has always been … Continue reading
This close up of Sencio triqueter was photographed by Heiner Lutzeyer some 18 weeks after the fire. Macro shots like this show the intricate nature of the flowers in the Asteraceae family. The family name is derived from the genus Aster, while … Continue reading
Gladiolus maculatus (the brown Afrikaner) grows on clay slopes, mainly in renosterveld from the Cape Peninsula to the Eastern Cape. As I had never seen it previously in the Walker Bay region and it is generally restricted to richer clay … Continue reading
